"How do you do, Lady Ruhe?"
"Please, no need for the formality. Aunt Marie has informed me about Uncle's visit today." Aunt Marie was the Uncle's wife and also the secretary of Lili's mother.
An about 40 years old man bowed in respect in front of Lili rose his head. "You are still as pretty and kind as ever, Dearest Niece." The man said with a gentle smile on his face.
"Wah, flattery would not bring you anywhere, Uncle Sammy." Lili got up from her seat and walked toward her uncle, then hugged him. "Lili really miss you, Uncle."
The man named Samuel Vol Bruce, an uncle from Lili's mother side, usually called Uncle Sammy by Lili and both of her brothers. Samuel had a really close relationship with Lili as he acting as Lili's physician that treated her from her young age due to Lili's poor health. The climax was when Lili had a high fever and could not consume anything for more than a week. Let alone eating, even for breathing, Lili seemed to have to struggle all her might.
Samuel stoked Lili's hair dearly. He adored that niece of him since her own daughter's funeral almost sixteen years ago. It was not that he blamed his wife for their daughter's death, it just… an unfortunate event bestowed none other than by the cruel fate entangled them. Samuel would not let anyone feel the exact same sorrow he and his wife felt.
Then, came Lili, caring a condition called albinism. Samuel could not deny the beauty, but others just got frightened by the abnormalities. You know, most of human had a concept 'different means you are not one of us', discriminated those with different strains from the 'normal' people in society.
Question is, what's so different about it? Aren't you still human regardless those differences? So, just being a human with a different appearance was a curse, a sin? Wasn't the differences exist to make others unique? Then, are those 'different species' ever done any harm? Probably, most of them don't, they just got mistreated from the so-called 'human', being called a 'monster', 'demon', 'sinner'.
"How have you been, Lili? Have you been in good health since the last time we met?" said Samuel with a concerned tone.
Samuel lifted Lili to his arm as if Lili was not tall enough. Well, Lili was around 170 centimeters in height (± 5.58 feet), but her uncle was more than 6 feet tall (182 cm and more), almost as tall as the doorway to the secondary library at Ruhe's mansion which is built in about 2 meters high. It was not the main library, only an individual library where none permitted tobe entered if there are no proper notice. Usually, the ladies would occupied the library for their own 'me time' sake.
"Yes, I have had a favorable health condition, Uncle." Lili smiled gently as Samuel carrying her in his strong arm.
"I relieve to hear that."
Samuel felt just like what he said, relieved. He always worried about this niece of him every time he gone for along trip. Samuel worried that Lili's health condition might overlap and 'that' time occurred once again.
Samuel flinched as he didn't like that event, never ever. The event almost brought him to his early death for worrying all day and night. Looking helplessly at his unconscious poor niece on a big-sized bed that seemed like a really big and lonely place. Always holding his ached chest every time he saw his niece having difficulty on breathing or when the big families crying and praying hopelessly for this little girl.
They walked the hall with four maids walking five steps behind them, following. Every time they encountered maid, butler, or guard, they would surely bowed in respect. Lili looking at her uncle which is the best uncle ever, whether it was his physical appearance or his intelligence or his magic aptitude, all in a perfect mark. That was why it was not something surprising that many respected her uncle.
"Daddy." Lili called as she waved to a man that sitting at the pavilion with a book in his hand.
The man turned to Lili's direction. The man had a cold and firm look, but he could always smiled warm and gently toward his family. The man waved back and said, "Lili, Samuel. How rare to see you both here. Please sit here, shall we have an early tea time?"
As soon as the man spoke, a few maids and butlers then came and put down a tea set with a few confectionery following.
"Daddy…"
"Uwah… my daugther is the prettiest!" said the man as he lifted Lili and sat her on his lap.
"You really don't change, huh, Theo?"
Theodore Al Ruhe, father of three daughters and two sons. The owner of the greatest and unique manufacture house. A great businessman, knew how and who to trust and help. A cold and stern looking, behaved with no consideration of others' feelings, but gentle and warm toward his family.
"You sure talk a lot these days, Samuel." You could see an imaginary electric stare between them as they looked despised each other.
Well, to begin with, the relationship between the two of them, Theodore and Samuel, indeed were 'not' good. People around whom close to them would say that they are some sort of archenemy or something along that line. It even got worser when Theodore married with Eleonora, Samuel's younger sister. Whatever it was, since the birth of the fragile Lili, they became ally, only in the case regarding Lili alone.
"Daddy…" Lili called.
"Yes? What can Daddy do to Daddy's little princess, hm?" Theodore kiss Lili's hair gently.
"I…" Lili wagged her eyes, she felt uncertain. "Um… I want to go to school."
"…"
Both Theodore and Samuel stared blankly.
"Lili, are you sure your body fit enough?" Samuel asked as he kneeled beside Lili, holding her hands, made Lili turned to face Samuel. "Uncle does not want Uncle's precious Lili got sick again, okay?"
Lili blinked her eyes, she seemed a little disappointed. "But, Uncle… Brother Leo said that school is fun." Lili mentioned her cousin that older by her two years, Leonard Vol Bruce, Samuel's second son.
"Ah… Brother Leo is another case, he is very wild and even bear would meet their miserable end if they ever encountered him." Samuel said. Samuel held Lili's hand close and kissed it gently. "Lili need to take a proper care on Lili's body, if Lili went to school, the schedule would bring disadvantages."
Lili turned to her father, "Daddy, please…" Lili made her very rare cute expression. Theodore seemed troubled as he tried to not look at Lili's face.
"I will bring Angie, so I definitely would be taken care properly and would be in a good health." Lili mentioned her personal maid who also acted as a nurse and apprentice worked under Samuel's command.
Samuel who still want to disprove, ended up being stopped by Theodore. "Okay, do as you please." Theodore's words made Samuel stunned then glared at Theodore as if asking why on earth did Theodore allow her sickly daughter to enter that hell. Basically, because the school schedule could change unfavorably, made the students suffered, etcetera, that was why school was equall to hell (a small one).
Lili seemed delighted, "Thank you, Daddy!"
Lili hugged Theodore tightly. "Oya…" She loosened her hugged then looked at Theodore's eyes. "How about Melissa? She has not publicly introduced and…"
"Melissa said she does not want it… the fame, friend, or foe by using the family name." Theodore said.
Lili nodded in agreement. Lili clapped her hands, "Oh, Daddy, Uncle, have you met the daughters of Valencia House?" Lili asked with her head tilted to one side.
"I have never met them. You know that 'the Valencia' despise human very much as they have half blood of beast-man or other races." Lili turned her face to Samuel as he explained.
Samuel shrugged his shoulders, "I heard the rumor about the youngest daughter of Valencia helping at the adventure guild, but I have not heard anything regarding the eldest one. Last time I heard, about two years ago, the eldest daughter has passed away due to a disease. Those were just rumors though, there are none credibility in them."
"Speaking of the eldest daughter," Lili turned her face to her father as Theodore started to talk. "The current Valencia's head family is Bruno, he ever came to our sweet store on it's grand opening day. I remembered that he bought a few cakes and gave one box to a boyish girl he came with. That girl called Bruno 'father' that day. The youngest daughter known as an elegant, feminine, and a quiet type, so she would neither cut her hair until resembles that of a boy, wear a boy's suit, nor speak and behave like a cheerful little boy."
"What is her name, Daddy? The girl who acted like a boy?" asked Lili.
"If I am not mistaken…" Theodore tapped his fingers on his other hand as he tried to remember.
"… Rafa."